The Chronicles of Hildy and Kami: New Beginnings
by Aidyl James
Summary: PART ONE: An AU. A slow burn love story between Hildy and Kami that is set in NYC instead of San Francisco. It is a female love story, if you don't like stories like that then this story is not for you. I do not own the characters, i just enjoy them. This story is Part One of their journey. Check Pinterest for MY cast photos. I still read the reviews even though story is COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1 Background

Author's Note: I do not own the character of Murder In The First. I just like playing around with them and placing them in an Alternate Universe. This story will be about the journey Hildy and Kami takes as they become friends and then lovers. It is a female/female love story. If you do not like stories like this then this story is not for you. I want to thank my dear friend, and sister Manhattanite who has been encouraging me to write a fanfiction story for the longest time. She has been gracious in reading my chapters before I post them, and also made suggestions. Her own stories are the best, check them out. I also want to thank my dear friend Accrossthepond for all her encouragement with this Hildy and Kami story. She along with Manhattanite are the reason I decided to try and put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, lol.

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Chapter 1: Background

Hildy stood at the window overlooking the corner 8th Avenue and 57th Street, Manhattan. She could not believe that she was really there. If anyone had told her one year ago that her entire life would be uprooted, and she would be living on the other side of the country in twelve months time she would not have believed them. Yet, here she was, standing in the office that now belonged to her partner Terry (Terrance) and herself.

Hildy looked at her watch, and thought to herself that she had just a little over thirty minutes to go before Terry and the guys came over for the Monday morning meeting that had become customary in such a short space of time. Hildy looked once more out the window as her mind traveled through time to one year ago when everything crumbled and triggered the events that eventually brought them to New York City. She sighed as she remembered the case she and Terry were working on. They were getting nowhere after investigating the murder of the nurse and her husband in their home. Every lead turned out to be a dead end until the brother of the nurse returned from overseas after finally getting the news that his sister died. When he found out that his sister was murdered by unknown assailants he went into shock and blamed himself. It turned out that he stood up to the drug man in his area who proclaimed himself to be Julius Caesar (JC). This JC character tried to recruit school children to distribute drugs in the school where the nurse's brother volunteered his time on afternoons teaching the students woodwork. This stand for right that the brother took in effect placed a target on his back. When JC tried again with his recruiting tactics a week later, the nurse's brother stood up to the scumbag once more, and called the police but by the time the police arrived at the school, JC was gone, and there was no sign that he or his 'soldiers' were ever there.

Hildy and Terry, then armed with the new information from the nurse's brother, began to investigate JC and when they gathered enough evidence to request a warrant to search his premises they did so. Their intel did not reveal how many connections JC had, they erroneously labeled him as a small fish in the pond of vomit that filtered throughout the city. It turned out that he had 'friends' within the police department, and he was tipped off about the warrant. He was able to move all his supplies from his property before the police arrived. But one of his minions in a foolish attempt to look 'big' fired the first shot at the police officers as they searched the property. To this day Hildy could not remember clearly what happened in the hailstorm of flying bullets but the end result was several officers were shot. Terry was shot in the back as his bullet proof vest as compromised, and she sustained two gunshot wounds to the arm and hand.

The memory of the wound to her hand caused her to unconsciously flex her fingers as the memories flooded her mind. Waking up in the ER in pain, with wounded officers in the cubicles all around her flooded her heart with fear. She remembered screaming for Terry as she was not sure if he was dead or alive; she remembered the doctors sedating her and having to be taken to OR because the bullet shattered the bone in her arm. The only good thing that came out of the gunfight at the drug lord's property was that he and several of his goons were killed. Terry was injured in his back as the bullet proof vest failed. No one knew if he would walk again as there was so much swelling near his spinal cord. But God was good and as the swelling went down the damage to his back was not permanent. The doctors told Terry and his wife Emma that he had a long road ahead of him with intense physiotherapy and they could not guarantee that he would walk perfectly in the future.

The tipoff that the drug lord got from someone in the police department lead to one of the biggest internal investigation in recent history of the San Francisco PD. Even though JC was a relatively small fish, he was connected to bigger fishes who in turn had several police officers and a few judges on their payroll. The fallout from the shoot out reached far, and by the time the dust settled, Terry and Hildy were saddened when they found out that persons from within their own squad were involved. The disillusionment and depression that began to plague Hildy as she recovered, and slowly regained the use of her arm took a toll on her.

Being placed on extended sick leave, and having regular psychological sessions with the therapist, gave Hildy time to re-evaluate everything that was important in her life. For the first time she allowed herself to be totally honest as she spent hours in reflection and journaling. Hildy grew up in a loving home with parents who taught her about God, and encouraged her to always do the right thing, to always take a stand for positive even if those around her were afraid. Even though she no longer attended church regularly, the training she received as a child grounded her as an adult. That was why it was so hard for her to come to terms with the corruption that was becoming more and more apparent as the investigation into the police department and judiciary continued. Persons she thought she could trust in the department turned out to be wolves in sheep clothing.

Emma came to see her often in the rehab center as they discussed Terry's progress and state of mind after the shooting. Terry had identified himself with his job so much that when the internal investigation unearthed the names of officers he knew and trusted, Terry could not believe it at first. But as the days went by and the deep rooted cancer was exposed, Terry became more and more bitter. It took several sessions with the psychologist before he began to realize that he was more than just 'his job'. Like Hildy, it took hours of reflection and honest communication with his therapist and his wife before he was able to acknowledge that there is a future ahead for him, there is happiness in the world just waiting to wrap around him. The love that Emma had for Terry was what helped him to break free of the fog of depression, and disillusion that wanted to take up residence in his mind.

Hildy, however, did not have anyone to sit by her side and fight for her, as she fought her internal battles. There was no significant other placing gentle kisses on her forehead as she pondered her future. When both Terry and Hildy returned to work after months of recovery, the balance that their squad had, was off its axis. Try as Terry and Hildy might, to feel the love and camaraderie for the rest of the precinct, they could not because they had changed. In an unprecedented move to control the stink of the drug lord scandal that implicated several high ranking police and public judiciary officials, the Mayor of San Francisco and the Governor of the state sanctioned a special separation package for any officer who was injured in the shoot out that wanted to take early retirement from the police service. After a long discussions with each other, and a lot of prayer in which they both asked Heavenly Father to guide them, Hildy and Terry with Emma's approval both decided to take the retirement package. They chose to leave the west coast to start a New Beginning on the opposite side of the country as co-owners in a Private Investigation firm.

Hildy dragged herself from the past as she heard voices of the guys walking down the corridor as they approached the conference room for their Monday morning meeting.


	2. Chapter 2 Ladies Needed

Authors Note: I added a couple acknowledgements in the author's note at the beginning of chapter one, and reposted the chapter. I know some of my friends who read the first chapter are not familiar with the show. But if you Google Murder In The First Cast you will see the actors who play the characters in this chapter. The character of Abbi is an original one so her photo will not be on the TV cast list.

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Chapter 2: Ladies Needed

Hildy smiled as the guy's voices got closer. David Molk and Edgar Navarro were having their usual banter as they walked into the conference room. This morning Edgar was defending the health benefits of eating food from the street vendors at Columbus Circle by Central Park. He began wolfing down two large hotdogs, a large portion of fries, and a cherry Fanta. David looked at him in amazement, and asked him for the umpteenth time -

"Edger, where do you put it?" because Edgar was small in both body and stature. He smiled at David with his mouth full of food, and laughter in his eyes. David then got an impish look on his face as he took the teasing a notch higher as he said - "Your wife sent you off to work with no breakfast this morning Edgar? What did you do last night? Oh wait….you did nothing!"

Anyone looking at David would realize he enjoyed laughing at his own jokes by the way he was cracking up as he sat down to power up his laptop.

Terry chuckled at David's teasing as he entered the room. Edgar eyes twinkled as he washed down a big bite of hot dog with a gulp of Fanta before telling David, "Not only did I do nothing last night, but my wife did nothing too. So we did nothing together, and both our nothings have us eating big breakfast this morning because we did not have time to cook as we slept late. I wonder if you ever do that kind of 'nothing' David, seeing that you are not married and all".

David just shook his head because he knew Edgar never took offence to his teasing, and could turn a joke right back on the joker. Jim Koto, and Abigail Charles, were the last two to enter the room, bearing a box of warm croissants from the bakery a few blocks away down on 8th Avenue. Hildy switched the kettle on as she knew everyone including Edgar would want cups of tea or coffee shortly as they began to discuss their open cases. Hildy felt so comfortable, felt so much affection, as she looked at the small team around the table. All the guys were former police officers, but unlike Hildy and Terry who originated in California USA, they were from New Jersey, Connecticut and Upstate New York.

Through the years, Jim, David and Edgar collaborated with Terry and Hildy on a number of police cases. They did this by sharing information whenever a suspect had connections in the area where the guys worked. This cooperation developed into good working relationships, which over time grew into good personal friendships. It so happened for various reasons, each man resigned from the police force, and subsequently were involved in other types of employment.

When Hildy and Terry decided to move to New York City, they contacted their friends, and asked if they would be interested in coming to work for them in their new private investigation firm. The men missed the excitement, the sense of accomplishment that came with solving a case, and righting a wrong. They did not miss the long hours, and frustration, attached to police work then your open cases were not closed. The opportunity that Terry and Hildy presented the men with, gave them the chance to work in an environment where they would have a much greater success rate to solve cases. They would once more be solving crime but without the long over time hours and the stress associated with it. So they all accepted the offer to join the firm.

Everyone except Abigail, or Abbi as has she was called, had a history in law enforcement. That did not pose any problems for the team as Abbi brought fresh eyes and a different perspective to their discussions when they talked through their cases. Even though Abbi was hired basically as their receptionist, she often made good suggestions when they had their Monday mornings case conferences. Hildy looked at Abbi and laughed as she saw the young woman who was the youngest member of the team rush Terry for the last two almond croissants in the box.

"Girl, you are becoming an Edgar in training, I think I should call you Mini Edgar or M.E for short". Abbi just laughed at Hildy's words and said to everyone in the room "You all are just jealous that you don't have metabolisms like Eddi and me," Then the big eaters high fived each other as everyone laughed.

'OK people , where are we on our open cases?' Terry asked the team as he got down to business. They spent the next thirty to forty minutes going over strategies for the three cases the firm was currently investigating. During this time it became more and more evident, that they needed better technical support to do the extensive online searches required to assist them is solving their cases. Without the computer resources of the San Francisco Police Department at their disposal to check, and cross reference various leads, progress was not as fast as they would like it to be. Terry's frustration began to show as he felt they should have closed at least one of their open cases by now.

As the person responsible for the day to day running of the firm, along with her investigating duties, Hildy realized that she needed to source additional help quickly. What she needed was someone with the computer technical knowhow, to circumnavigate all the firewalls, and online obstacles, without actually breaking the law, while surfing the web. And she needed this computer genius before the week was out. She already read a few resumes of qualified person who responded to their advertisement for an I.T Specialist. The firm preferred someone who also had background in law enforcement, but thus far, no one measured up to what Hildy was looking for. Another thing Hildy considered when reading the resumes of the applicants was, if the person was female. She would not admit this to the guys, but after working in a male dominated environment at the SFPD for so long, she longed for a bit more estrogen and less testosterone around her all the time. She smiled to herself as she knew David and Jim would not have a problem with that at all, as they were single, and always socializing with some woman or other.

As the meeting came to a close and everyone went off in various directions to take care of whatever needed to be done, Hildy began to feel a bit stressed as she had no more résumés to review. Just then Jim came back to the conference room, and told her that one of his college buddies mentioned to him last night while they were at the gym, that he had a new neighbour. Hildy wondered why Jim was telling her all of this, especially when she was trying to start writing up some case notes, but she listened anyway.

"So my buddy said the new neighbour is gorgeous but he has not asked her out as yet. He did not want to appear as if he was trying to make a move on her too soon, seeing that she just moved back to the US." Jim laughed. Hildy thought, "I hope this isn't going to be one of Jim's long, beating around the bush stories", as she mentally smiled while trying not to laugh.

"According to my buddy, the neighbour has her degree in Computer Science, and seeing as we need an computer tech person, maybe I can ask my friend to get her number, and this will give him a legitimate reason to ask for it". Hildy finally laughed as she asked Jim if he was sure he was trying to get a tech person for the firm or help his friend hook up with the lady next door? Jim had the grace to admit that he was killing two birds with one stone here. After pondering for a few moments, Hildy told Jim to contact his buddy, and see if he would be lucky to get the phone number. Jim assured her that knowing his friend as he did, he was confident they would have the cell number soon, and then he left the office.

Later in the day Jim called Hildy with the cell phone number, and name of his friend's neighbour. Hildy smiled, and shook her head as she wrote down the information. After ending the call with Jim, she sat back in her office chair and read the name aloud; Kami Keefer. She wondered if making this call would be a waste of time. However, as the firm needed help with working the web quickly, she decided to give the 'neighbour' a call. Hildy reasoned that even if the woman did not have a background in law enforcement, at least they might get some computer help providing her qualifications and references, were acceptable.

Hildy placed the call and waited. She was just about to disconnect the call when someone answered. Hildy asked for Ms Keefer, and identified herself. Then the voice on the other side said that she was Ms Keefer. Hildy was immediately struck by how lovely Kami's voice and accent sounded. After a few minutes of explaining what she was looking for by way of computer experience, and being satisfied that Kami appeared to have the qualifications that the firm needed, she arranged for Kami to come in for an interview the following morning.

Hildy sat for several minutes after the call ended just replaying the conversation in her mind, as she tried to analyze her thoughts. She kept thinking to herself that Kami had a beautiful voice. Hildy could not understand why images of warm honey kept coming to her mind as she replayed the words of their call. Why would one phone call make her think in poetic imagery? Hildy remembered promising herself when she walked away from her life in San Francisco, that New York would be a new beginning for her. She promised to finally be true to herself; to remove the mask, the persona she wore of 'heterosexuality'. But thus far she made no attempt to change anything about her 'public image'. Hildy was in the closet for so long that even though she had the desire to step outside, she had no idea how to open the door that was always directly in front of her. Hildy sighed as she tried to block the thoughts that so valiantly fought to be examined, all because a total stranger had a beautiful voice on the phone.

Taking a deep breath, she told herself tomorrow morning should be very interesting. She remembered that Jim said that his college buddy found Kami to be gorgeous, "Hills girl, get a grip of yourself. You could be in big trouble if you let a simple voice send you off on a tangent like this. It is one thing to interview a candidate for a job; it is another to get silly over her voice".


	3. Chapter 3: Enter Kami

Author's Note: Folks if you type in the name Kami Keefer on Google you will see the actress who plays the part of Kami in the show. However, in my Alternate Universe, I see Kami looking more like the British actress Nina Sosanya when she was younger in her mid thirties. If you Google Nina's name you will see what she looks like.

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Chapter 3 : Enter Kami

Kami sat on the balcony of her apartment overlooking Jackson Square in Manhattan as she sipped her tea, and replayed the cell phone conversation with Hildy Mulligan. Kami learned a long time ago to listen to her 'gut feelings' because they seldom led her wrong. Her gut feelings told her there was something; something she could not put her finger on exactly but whatever the something was, it made her notice Hildy. That 'hard to put her finger on' is what caught her interest, and begged to be explored. And what better way to do this, than to meet this woman in person. When her neighbour Trevor told her about the private investigation firm that his friend worked for, she really was not that interested. But something about the way Trevor spoke about his friend Jim, and his team, stirred her curiosity enough for her to give Trevor her cell number, and she was glad that she did.

When Hildy called her, and explained what they were looking for in a computer technical person, Kami decided to agree to the interview the next morning. As she analyzed her 'gut feelings' some more, Kami was able to identify the 'something' that she could not identify before. The best description she could use to describe what she sensed, was a vibe, like an aura, that reached her through the phone. As she listened to the sound of the traffic below the balcony, she decided that she needed to know more about Hildy Mulligan before she met her. Walking back into the spacious apartment Kami began making her mental list of how to acquire information on the firm, and Hildy. Kami graduated in the top five of her class at her Bachelors of Science level, and in the top three at her Masters level. Armed with that technical knowledge, and skill set, it took her little time to have both Hildy's and Terry's bio date on her computer screen at her work station. In quick time she had access to all their personal, and business finances, as she considered what to do beyond the interview tomorrow.

Kami Keefe was a lady of financial means who worked because she wanted to not because she had to. Her technical expertise was sort after so she never had to look for a job. Rather firms, and government agencies on both side of the pond used her in the past as a computer consultant.

When Kami read Hildy's medical records, and saw the extent of the injuries to her arm, her admiration for the former police officer took root. She knew that the physical therapy needed to give her back use of her arm would not have been easy. Kami looked at photos of the team, and saw an honesty in their expressions that appealed to her. But when she looked at pictures of Hildy she saw something more. Kami could not put her finger on it but there was something in Hildy's expression in all the photos she located online. Hildy looked 'guarded' like she was holding something in, it was as if she had a 'public expression' in almost every picture. However Kami located a photo in which Hildy was on her knees in front of a little girl who looked distraught as she accidently got separated form her parents in the park. Her expression in that unguarded moment when her photograph was taken showed a gentle compassion, that Kami felt was only a glimpse of the depth that was, and is, one Hildy Mulligan.

Kami, was considered impulsive by some of her friends because she appeared to do things with little thought. However Kami relied on her instinct, her gut feelings, her sense of discernment when faced with a decision that others might ponder long while looking for a solution. Kami went with what felt right. At 35 years of age she was in an emotional, and spiritual point in her life where she was at peace with Heavenly Father. In her younger years she struggled with her feelings of same sex attraction, to the point that she considered herself an abomination in the eyes of God. She felt this way because that was what she was taught by some folks who honestly felt they understood what God expected from His children. It took many year before the light bulb finally went off over in Kami's head. But when it did, and the realization that Heavenly Father loved her just as she was, and He did not make any mistakes, a sense of peace flooded her soul that was unprecedented. From that moment forward Kami came more, and more into her own. With the end result being a confident, self assured, loving, generous woman who enjoyed every day of her life, and lived every day to the fullest. She was secure in her sexuality, and knew what she wanted, and what she would not tolerate. This self assuredness is what people saw, and felt when they interacted with her. It is what Trevor felt when he befriended her as he tried to make her feel welcomed in the apartment building.

Kami took a break from her online 'detective work' to prepare her dinner. After having her meal and chatting with her parents who still lived in England for a few minutes on Skype, Kami allowed her mind to look at the potential job offer from different perspectives. She mused over the situation. One thing she knew as she sat once more at her work station, that was she wanted to get to know Ms Hildy Mulligan. Kami spoke aloud to herself in the apartment "Even if she is not gay I still want to get to know her because there is something there that I am sensing, something I am curious about". Kami thought to herself as she rocked back in her computer chair, "being an employee to Hildy will not do, I would like to be on an equal footing with her".

With this new thought in her mind Kami went back into the financial records for the firm. After some reading and comparing several business accounts it became clear that Terry and Hildy put all of their resources into the firm. This financial move left them with little wiggle room if unexpected expenses came up. She then checked the turnover rate for cases and realized that even though they were solving their cases, business was not as booming as they expected as yet. Kami felt it was just a matter of time before 'word of mouth' caused their clientele to grow. But in the meanwhile the finances of the firm could do with an influx of liquid cash.

An idea began to form in Kami mind as she thought about the job interview carded for the next morning, and a big smile graced her face. Taking a deep breath, she told herself "tomorrow morning should be very interesting", as she chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4 The Interview

Author's Note: Folks if you go to YouTube and type in 'She's Royal' by Tarrus Riley you will see the official video for the song Terry has as his cell ring tone for his wife. I too have that particular song as my cell ring tone as it is beautiful to me.

Chapter 4 : The Interview

The next morning, as Hildy arrived at work, she chided herself for wasting time while getting ready. "I must have a loose screw somewhere," she mumbled under her breath as she headed to the elevator that took her up to her floor. She still could not believe that she wasted so much time trying to decide what to wear to work this morning. She sucked her teeth as she entered the elevator with other folks who were heading to various offices in the building.

Hildy shook her head as she recalled that after trying on three different outfits she went right back to the original one she tried on first thing that morning. "What a colossal waste of time," she thought as she mentally slapped herself at the back of the head. Hildy prided herself on being very organized. She always had her outfit ready the night before but for some reason, this morning when she saw the clothes that she planned on wearing, she was not satisfied.

Looking at the outfit, she decided that it needed a little sprucing up. When she thought about it honestly she realized this last minute dissatisfaction with her clothes was because she wanted to make an impression on a complete stranger. The thought of this made her stop what she was doing. She told herself it was just an interview, nothing more nothing less, and went back her original outfit that was fine as it was.

As she entered her office Hildy admitted to herself that regardless of what she wore, she wanted to make a good impression on the lady with the honey sounding voice. As that thought flitted through her mind, a gentle wave of sadness touched her heart because she realized how her loneliness prompted her to try to impress a total stranger. A stranger she knew nothing about. "Now if that isn't desperation, I do not know what is", she mumbled under her breath.

Abbi looked at her as she walked through the glass door. She observed Hildy's lips moving so she asked "Are you feeling OK Hills? Were you talking to yourself? You know that is a sure sign of impending old age, right?" Then Abbi flashed her a cheeky smile and chuckled at her own joke.

"Yeah, I know; talking to myself isn't so bad" Hildy retorted, "it is when I begin to answer back, and then have a full conversation, that's when you know I am over the hill and around the bend", Hildy smiled. Abbi laughed at this, especially the pun with Hildy being over the hill.

Abbi kept looking at Hildy and asked her seriously if she was OK because she looked a bit distracted. Hildy assured her that she was fine, and went to her office.

The guys were already in the room they called their 'engine room' because that was the driving room of the firm. The room where they bounced ideas around as they worked on the cases. It was also a place to impart interesting news. Jim filled in both Edgar and David on the upcoming interview. "Hey guys, remember my old college buddy Trevor?

Well, he hooked us up with his new neighbour who is some kind of computer expert, who according to Trevor is not nerdy looking but gorgeous. She is coming in for an interview this morning in a few minutes".

Edgar looked at Jim with a bit of trepidation as he recalled who Trevor was. "Isn't he the same friend who hooked you up with the best auto mechanic in New York City last year? The same mechanic who messed up your transmission?" Before Jim could answer, David chimed in with " Isn't he the same Trevor who swore the John Legend concert ticks he bought from some man in the street was authentic, only to almost get arrested when he tried to enter the concert with the said tickets?"

Jim looked to the ceiling as he admitted "Yeah, yeah, but this time Trevor has actually had a few conversations with his neighbour, and he assured me she really is a qualified computer genius". His co-workers still looked a bit skeptical, so Jim told them Hildy spoke with the woman on the phone, and was impressed enough to schedule an interview with her for this morning.

When the guys heard that Hildy was taking Trevor's recommendation seriously, they revised their opinion of this unknown computer person. Just then Terry entered the room and Edgar asked him what the deal was with the potential new employee. To which Terry replied, " All I know is Hildy spoke with her and was impressed, she should be here any minute now. We will know soon enough if she can meet our requirements". Just then they heard Abbi conversing with someone in the outer office, and one by one they walked to the door of the engine room to get a look at the potential employee.

Collectively their jaws dropped at the beautiful woman who stood smiling and making small talk with Abbi. It turned out that Hildy was on a phone call in her office so Abbi engaged Kami in conversation while she waited. Just then, Terry's cell phone rang, with his ring tone of 'She's Royal' by Tarrus Riley that he used for his wife Emma. He quickly answered the call, and told her the computer lady had arrived, and he would call her back in a while. David, the office comedian, commented that Terry's ring tone song could not have been timed more perfectly if it was planned.

Just then Abbi's intercom rang, and Hildy told her that she could show Ms Keefer in. But before Abbi could do that Jim stepped forward, and introduced himself as Trevor's friend. Kami turned to him and smiled as she said, "Trevor spoke very highly of you and the team here,"

For once, Jim had to give his friend credit that this time he did not exaggerate; neighbour Kami was truly a gorgeous woman. Terry walked over and introduced himself, and then he introduced Edgar and David. He then ushered Kami into Hildy's office for the interview.

Hildy heard the voices in the reception area and was about to go see what was taking so long for Kami to come into her office when the door opened, and Kami walked in. The woman who gracefully walked towards her with an outstretched hand literally took her breath away. She was immediately struck by the gentle confident look in her eyes. Then Kami smiled and her entire face lit up as she said the words "Good morning, I am Kami Keefer, it is a pleasure to meet you". She said it with such sincerity that Hildy believed that it really was a pleasure for Kami.

If it were possible to see the big picture and the small picture at the same time then Hildy experienced that vision in the same moment. She saw the full package that was Kami, her professionally tailored business suit that was classy while still being simply, the beautifully hand crafted leather attaché case, and the Clarks' shoes.

In the same instant Hildy saw every detail of Kami face and body. She saw flawless skin that was a light tanned colour that reminded her of pale caramel. She saw a face that was devoid of all makeup, eyes that naturally were lined by the curve of her lashes, irises that were chocolate brown with flecks of yellowish green, cheeks that had a hint of colour and finally lips that looked like they were shaped perfectly for kissing.

And the hair, oh my. Kami had her hair in a small bun but there were tendrils of hair that escaped the proper bun and caressed the back of Kami's neck. Hildy had an image flash before her eyes of herself playing in what looked like curly locks. As for her body, Hildy could tell she was very toned while maintaining her curves and femininity.

As those thoughts moved through Hildy's mind, Kami experienced a kind of awakening upon seeing Hildy. The first thing that struck her was that Hildy's photograph did not do her justice at all because she was more attractive in person. Her body was less imposing in a business suit, than it appeared in the photos she saw online with Hildy in her police bullet proof vest and gear.

The thing that struck Kami the most that caused her to feel as if she just swam up to the surface of the ocean, and broke free, was the look in Hildy's eyes as their gaze locked on each other. For a few moments every wall, every defense, Hildy ever put in place to shield herself from others seeing the real Hildy, from seeing the part of her that she seldom took the time to analyze, fell down. In those brief moments Hildy inner being was naked in front of Kami and Kami saw everything.

It was like if an invisible line, an electrical charge, a magnetic force surged between them. This feeling excited and frightened Hildy at the same time, while it excited and warmed Kami to the core. Terry stood to the side of Kami as he entered the office and sensed something immediately as the women held hands instead of shaking hands. He looked from one to another but was not sure how to identify what he was picking up on. After a moment or two Terry cleared his throat, and it was like the spell was broken, and he invited Kami to have a seat as they began the interview.

Hildy, planned to conduct the interview on her own but when she spoke to Terry on the cell this morning prior to arriving for work, she asked him to sit in on the interview. Terry did not think anything odd in the request because he was part of the interviewing process for Abbi when they considered hiring her as their receptionist. The guys were not interviewed as both Hildy and Terry worked with them before, and knew they were exceptional police officers.

Hildy did not explain to Terry the real reason why she wanted him there. Hildy could not even explain it to herself but she knew that after one phone conversation with Kami all sorts of thoughts, feelings, and longings flooded her being. Hildy felt she would be able to have a better handle on her inner turmoil if she was not alone with Kami.

Kami handed over her certificates, awards and other relevant documents along with her resume to Hildy, who accepted them with a smile. Terry, standing at Hildy's side, basically repeated what Hildy shared on the phone to Kami the day before. He added some more details to the job description as he glanced at the documents on Hildy's desk. Hildy looked up at Terry, and he read her expression. After working as partners in the San Francisco Police Department for so long, they developed a rapport that a lot of officers shared. They were able to communicate with just one look. This skill worked well for them in the past when they had to interrogate a suspect while still working for the police. The skill still bode well in the new firm when they interviewed a prospective client or brainstormed while working on a case. Today however, as they read Kami's qualifications, they both had the same thought, and the look they shared confirmed what crossed their minds.

Hildy took over the interview as she looked Kami in the eyes, "I must say, these certificates and awards are very impressive Ms Keefer. But we fear you are over qualified to work for our firm." Hildy's heart sank as she said those words because she realized that there was no way she and Terry could afford the kind of salary Kami could command. Which meant that when Kami left their office after the interview, it would be the last time she would see her. She shuffled the documents and continued saying "while we need your expertise, we cannot afford to remunerate you on par with your qualifications". Kami sat back in the chair and looked at Terry and then Hildy as she considered the best way to word her proposal and enter Hildy's life.


	5. Chapter 5 The Proposal

Chapter 5: The Proposal

Kami sat back in the chair and looked at Terry, and then Hildy, as she considered the best way to word her proposal and enter Hildy's life.

"Please, call me Kami," she said as she smiled at the two persons who needed computer technical help, but could not afford what they felt she should be paid.

Terry placed his hands in his pants pockets, and straightened up as he looked at Kami, and said "OK, Kami, our firm is small, we are just beginning to establish ourselves. We want, no …we need someone who is a computer whiz to assist us work our cases, but it is like Hildy just said, we cannot afford to pay you the kind of salary you deserve based on your qualifications. I am sorry to have wasted your time this morning."

Hildy looked at Terry as he spoke because she could not bring herself to look at Kami. She felt too much disappointment would show in her eyes. She reproached herself for the way she reacted when she saw Kami and held her hand just minutes before. Her mind was racing, so she took a long deliberate breath as she corralled the rush of feelings, and thoughts that flooded her heart and mind.

As Terry looked at Kami, Kami looked at Hildy and saw the precise moment the walls went back up, and the key turned as she locked down herself. Kami took a deep breath as she squared her shoulders and went into business mode. " Let's get down to business", Kami told both Hildy and Terry as she launched into her proposal.

"Please hear me out before you respond," she implored Hildy before turning her eyes to Terry who wondered what she could possibly say that would convince them to hire her. Just the previous afternoon Terry went through their finances in an attempt to free up enough cash to pay an additional monthly salary. He succeeded in doing so by cutting back on Hildy's and his monthly wages.

When they opened the private investigating firm, they invested most of the severance package they got when they left the SFPD. The rest of the money went towards moving lock, stock and barrel from California to New York City. Plus, it became necessary to dip into their personal saving accounts to bridge the gap when there was still a short fall between the establishing of the firm, and the move.

He did not regret the financial investment he made, but he knew that neither he nor Hildy could afford to squeeze any more cash, to up the salary of any new employee. As a matter of fact, his standard of living was a bit lower than he had mentally projected it would be by this time. The firm was doing well but it needed to do better in order to generate more income.

Hildy looked at Kami and thought to herself "I wish there was a way I could make the job work." Kami began to speak as both Terry and Hildy listened to her words intently. "I believe in open, honest communication, and I am going to place my cards on the table", Kami paused as she looked at her small audience.

"When Trevor told me that you were looking for a person knowledgeable in computers to work for you, I honestly was not interested". As she paused in what she was saying, she observed Terry tensed a little , while Hildy's eyebrow rose by a millimetre. "But then Trevor went on and on about Jim, and how he always spoke so highly of the team he worked with, my curiosity was piqued. I gave him my cell number, and thought to myself, if someone from the firm actually calls I will decide then if I wanted to meet with you all. When Hildy called",

Kami stopped in mid sentence, and looked intently into Hildy's eyes and asked "You don't mind me calling you Hildy, do you?" In that moment Hildy could not speak because so many emotions were bouncing around inside her as she listened to that lovely voice with the British accent. All she did was shake her head 'no'.

Kami nodded her head to her and continued. "As I was saying, when Hildy called, my curiosity deepened, and as we spoke on the phone I was impressed by the mission statement, and vision of your firm. This is why I agreed to the interview". Kami paused as she looked at the pair. They both looked at her intently but for different reasons. She sensed that Terry was becoming slightly suspicious of her because as far as he was concerned he had already explained that they could not afford her services. Kami's keen intuition alerted her that Terry was wondering if she was up to something. The policeman in him always saw folks as potential perpetrators.

Hildy on the other hand, looked at her intently because she was hoping Kami had a solution to propose but scared of how she should respond to the potential solution. Kami took a deep breath and continued "I do not want to work _for_ you", Kami said, and immediately heard, and felt Hildy's quick intake of breath at her words. Terry turned to Hildy and looked at her with a puzzled expression before tuning his face back to Kami as she continued. "I do however want to work _with_ you".

Terry frowned as he asked "Work with us, but not for us? I do not understand".

Kami looked from Terry back to Hildy and explained "I do not need to work. I work because I want to. When I was in university I wrote a program and designed hardware to run the program. My professor brought my program to the attention of a friend of his who at the time held a high position at The Apple company, and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, I receive royalty cheques in the mail each month. Plus Trevor does not know this, but I own the building that we live in, and a couple other properties. And as you know, rent in Manhattan is expensive. I also have a few other lucrative investments. "

Terry had a guarded look on his face as Kami looked at him. It was like he was processing the information while trying not to give anything away. Hildy on the other hand had a surprised, hopeful look on hers.

Kami continued to explain; "I like that your firm seeks out the victims in cases that the police are having trouble to investigate properly because of a lack of manpower. The cases that no one seems to go the extra mile for in seeking justice. Your team finds the evidence to help the men and women in blue take the case to court" She smiled at the partners, and continued "I would like to be a part of that. I can provide the hardware you need for the internet searches that will speed up your work by as much as 50%. I have access to the software to make this work. This firm would benefit from an upgrade in its communication interface, in security, in surveillance, then high tech phones with top of the line tracking software would make life a lot easier for you all".

Terry finally took his hands out of his pocket as he held them up and said "Hold on a minute, all of these things you are listing cost a lot of money. We cannot afford that kind of equipment at this point in time. All we needed was someone to work the system that we presently have but to do it more efficiently". Hildy looked at Kami without breaking eye contact and asked, "Kami, what exactly are you saying?" Kami held her gaze and answered, "I am saying I can supply all the hardware and software you need - free of charge to move your firm forward".

Terry opened his eyes wide and in an agitated stern voice said "Stop, stop. No one gives away things like that for free! What do you want lady?!" Kami returned his stare but with a gentleness. " I want to buy into your firm. I want to be an equal partner".

Terry looked at her in shock and Hildy looked at her in disbelief. Kami continued "After speaking with Hildy last night, I decided to do some investigating into your firm as much as you were prepared to offer me a job. You saw my qualifications, there isn't a firewall I can't climb, there isn't a system, given enough time, I can't hack. I can write worms and I can write patch programmes. That said, I am letting you know that I checked your finances, and I know that even though the firm is doing good, it must begin to do better soon or you both will begin to feel the financial squeeze".

Terry's jaw dropped slightly as the realization of what Kami did sunk in. "You went searching our financial records without a court order?"

Kami looked at Terry intently and said "Yes".

Kami continued, "Terry, think about it for a minute, what better practical way could I show you my abilities than what I did to gather information on your finances". Terry was not pleased and asked in a controlled voice: "So Kami, what else did you go poking around in? Our personal emails?" Kami knew she had to win this man over if she was to stand a chance partnering with them in the firm.

She kept her voice calm as she answered him "No, Terry. I did not hack your email. I wanted to know about the firm so I checked anything I could find on the firm. When I saw that it was run by two former SFPD Officers I checked newspaper files and police files to get an idea of who you were. It was when I read about the kind of cases you work on, where you seek justice for the victims, that was when my interest in helping the firm rose".

Kami wondered if to stop there or to continue putting her cards on the table. She remembered that she said at the beginning of her proposal that she believed in open and honest communication. She took another deep breath and opened herself up to Hildy and Terry because she sensed he protected her like a big brother. "Your defense of the victim caught my interest but the thing that cemented my interest in the firm was when I thought of becoming friends with Hildy"

There was a silence in the room that was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Those words left Terry speechless, and Hildy shocked and confused. "I know I have given you both a lot to think about, and I expect you would want to discuss my proposal privately. I will leave you now, and you can contact me later ".

Kami got up, leaving the copies of her documents on Hildy's desk. She made eye contact with Hildy as she said "I do not believe in coincidence. There is a reason Heavenly Father allowed our paths to cross at this point in time. We have the opportunity to help each other professionally. I can provide you with the technical support you need, and you can provide me with an opportunity to be involved in something that helps to bring justice to victims. We also have the opportunity to be friends". With those parting words she quietly walked out of Hildy's office and out of the firm.

Terry and Hildy looked at the closing door and then looked at each other.


	6. Chapter 6 The Response

Chapter 6 The Response

Terry and Hildy looked at the closing door and then looked at each other.

"What just happened here?!" Terry asked in a raised voice with a look of disbelief on his face.

"One minute we have a candidate for a position we need help with. Then that person morphs into an overqualified computer genius in front of our eyes, who knew we could not afford to pay her before she came here this morning. Then the same person shows the real reason she came here in the first place! She wants to take over our business!"

The door of the 'engine room' was open and the guys heard Terry's raised voice, so they came to Hildy's office to see what was going on. Abbi followed them in as she had never heard Terry's voice raised that high before.

"No, no, wait. The REAL reason she came here was to 'quote, unquote', make friends with Hildy!" Terry ranted. Then he looked at Hildy intently and asked her in a calmer voice, "And what was all that….. I do not know, that….holding hands, and sharp intake of breath thing? Do you guys know each other from some place? What exactly did you all talk about on the phone last night?"

Jim was the first to speak up, "Hey, guys what is going on? What happened with Kami?" Then David asked "Why are you shouting Terry?" Terry frowned, lowered his voice some more, and said "I am not shouting?".

Edgar made a humph sound and said "Well if that is not shouting, I would not like to hear you when you do shout". All eyes were trained on Terry, and he realized that he needed to take it down a notch.

He apologized to everyone for raising his voice, and then looked at Hildy who had not said a word since Kami walked out. "Hildy, I am sorry I raised my voice at you. I felt like we were just set up".

Abbi felt uncomfortable with the negative energy that filled Hildy's office, an office that always felt welcoming in the past. She repeated Jim's question, and Hildy answered in a calm voice. She explained to her team that Kami was very highly qualified, more qualified than she originally realized. She went on to explain that based on the firm's expense account they would not be able to pay her a salary, so they rescinded the job offer.

"Whoa, so you are telling me that the best qualified person we could get came in and walked out of our office? " Edgar asked in an incredulous voice.

"Wait a minute that is not all" Terry said while keeping his voiced controlled. All eyes turned back to Hildy as she continued to explain that Kami offered to provide the firm with the high tech, top of the line equipment they needed in exchange for becoming their partner.

"What?" the three former police officers said in unison.

"You heard Hildy correctly, this woman who we don't know a thing about, wants to buy into the firm using computer equipment as her currency." Terry said. The three officers began to ponder the offer Kami made.

Just then Abbi asked Terry what he meant when his said that Kami wanted to be Hildy's friend. All eyes turned to Terry now as he stood quietly. Before he could say anything Hildy stood, and spoke up. "Kami and I felt comfortable speaking on the phone last night; this prompted her to check out the firm, and Terry's and my police background. She liked what our firm stands for, and she felt that we could become good friends, so she put forward a proposal that has the potential to benefit us all".

Terry listened closely to Hildy's tone and asked in a skeptical voice, "You can't be seriously thinking we should consider her offer, do you?" Hildy answered Terry in a calm tone and said "Terry, everything she said about our financial situation was true. What are the chances that Trevor would recommend someone just when we so desperately need the expertise? You know as well as I do that we cannot afford the kind of upgrades Kami spoke of. We need help Terry, and if the help can come from Kami, I think we should at least consider it".

Terry sat down heavily on one of the chairs in Hildy's office. He looked like the wind just went out of his sails.

Hildy continued as all ears were listening intently to what she gently told Terry. "I hear what you are not saying. I hear that this firm is our dream, our baby. But our baby needs better nourishment, and we do not have enough ready cash right now to feed it. Look, I feel nervous about the thought of signing over part of the firm, too, but in reality what kind of options do we have?" The room was deadly silent as Hildy stopped.

Jim realized that the firm was suddenly placed at a fork in the road due to Kami's proposal so he made a suggestion as the investigator in him kicked in.

"I'll tell you what" he said, "Edgar, David and I can make some calls to our contacts in the various precincts all over the country. By mid afternoon I am sure we will find out every personal detail about Kami Keefer. If she has anything criminal in her past we will find it. Man, if she even forgot to pay for her lemonade as a kid at the shop at the corner we will know. Don't worry Hildy, Terry, the guys and I have this covered. Let's take a break and meet in the conference room at 3 o'clock. Then you will know everything about Trevor's neighbour, and you both could make an informed decision"

His two bosses agreed and the investigators left the room.

Terry tuned to Hildy when everyone had left, and asked her quietly "Hills, what's going on?". She turned to him with an expression in her eyes that he could not read, and shook her head. With that she left her office and headed out of the firm.

Hildy walked up Eight Avenue until she got to Central Park, and sat on a bench. The last twenty four hours felt like an emotional rollercoaster ride to her. The temperature was in the mid-sixties, and even though there were folks walking around in the park, it was not overly crowded at that time of late morning.

Hildy sat and just stared for a long time, as her mind alternated between being blank yet filled with thoughts and emotions. She tried to compartmentalize what she was feeling and thinking and then examined each section in turn.

The thinking part was a bit easier to examine than the emotional part Hildy thought. "The offer makes financial sense." Hildy said aloud as she leaned her head back and looked up to the sky. "Arrrrggghh, there is no way Terry, and I can scrape together the cash to buy the kind of equipment we need," she thought as she steups. Hildy sighed and sat quietly as she looked at the situation from Terry's perspective.

This private detective firm was their baby, it was their dream, and it was their source of income after walking away from the job they both loved. To have someone, whom they did not know, walk in off the street and offer to provide for their technical needs with one hand, and take a piece of their pie with another would be a lot to accept if the person was anyone else but Kami.

The emotional compartment in her heart that housed her feelings knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kami meant no harm. There was no logical way to explain it, but Hildy saw into Kami's heart when their eyes locked for the first time a few hours ago.

She knew without a doubt, as she knew there were clouds in the sky above her head, that Kami would be the best thing that would happen to the firm, and to her personally. Just then Hildy burst out laughing, and a couple who were passing by looked at her oddly, nevertheless she just smiled at them as they walked by.

Hildy laughed because she was a practical person, and practical people do not believe in love at first sight. However, today proved to Hildy that there are emotions that could be stirred in a person at the first sight of another. If it was not love, it could be described as a very strong liking. She had never before felt such a strong attraction for anyone. It was like Kami was her other puzzle piece, the piece that she was missing all this time, and did not know she was missing.

She sighed as she took a deep breath, she knew that she wanted Kami to enter her life, and if that meant signing part of the firm over to her then she was willing to do so. As Hildy sat there she remembered Kami's words to her before she left the office. Words about Heavenly Father letting their paths cross for a reason. Hildy thought about that for awhile as she sat there. She looked back up to Heaven and softly pleaded, "Please Father, let it work out that Terry agrees without a fight to accept Kami's proposal. And please Father let this thing I felt when I saw Kami be real and lasting. In Jesus' name Amen" .

While Hildy was in Central Part sorting out her thoughts and feelings, Kami was back in her apartment making phone calls as she sourced equipment, and everything she would need to fulfill what she promised to Hildy and Terry. She also called her lawyers with strict instructions to prepare the legal documents necessary for the purchase of a part of the private investigation firm. The lawyers were to have the legal documents ready for 8:00am the next morning to present to Hildy and Terry unless otherwise instructed by Kami.

She paused from what she was doing to relive the first time she saw Hildy's face. Kami had never had such an intense reaction to another person in her entire life. She knew that today was just the first day, but she wanted more than just friendship from Hildy. Her heart told her immediately that Hildy was her other puzzle piece, the piece that was missing. Hildy was her other half, and she was going to do everything in her power to forge a relationship with her. As she smiled to herself, Terry's face crossed her mind and placed a damper on her enthusiasm.

Kami wondered what else she could say to sway Terry in her favour. She sighed as she was unsure what to do to seal his endorsement of her. She walked out to her balcony overlooking Jackson Square. She looked up to the sky with the white fluffy clouds, and prayed "Heavenly Father, please don't allow Terry be a stumbling block in the relationship I want to have with Hildy. Let him put his pride away and accept my proposal please. In Jesus' name Amen"

At that precise moment, Terry was at his wife's work place having lunch with her. He began venting to Emma about 'that Kami woman' and how she wanted to take over their firm, and to make matters worse she was a stalker. Now Emma was a lady with a quiet nature, and most persons underestimated her. She was very intelligent, observant, and astute, with an uncanny ability to cut through all the distractions, and get to the heart of the matter.

Emma picked up on Terry's description of Hildy's reaction to Kami, and Kami's real reason for wanting to be part of the firm. After listening to all the other bits and pieces of the morning's happenings, she suggested to Terry that it may be in all their best interest to agree to Kami's proposal because what she offered made financial sense.

She also got him to focus on Hildy as a person, separate and apart from the firm. All the while reminding Terry that Hildy had a level head on her shoulder, and would not be easily swayed by anyone who plied her with words filled with sweet nothings. Emma got Terry to calm right down, and see things from all sides. The last point she used to convince him to consider her perspective was Kemi could be an asset rather than the liability to Hildy's sexuality.

Now this was something Terry and Hildy seldom talked about. He loved Hildy like his younger sister, and wanted her to be in a happy relationship but he never pried about whom she was seeing or not seeing. As far as he knew she hardly ever dated anyone. Emma on the other hand, spoke to Hildy from time to time on this sensitive issue. Emma was Hildy's dear friend and knew how lonely she got at times. She felt that if Hildy reacted to this Kami person the way Terry described, then that was a relationship she would encourage her friend to pursue, as she pointed this out to her husband.

Terry smiled at Emma and asked "How do you do it? How do you get to the heart of the matter and make so much sense?" Emma smiled as she hugged Terry, "It's easy, I do not think like a cop, and I try to place myself in the other person's shoes".

At exactly 3pm Hildy walked back into the office and headed for the conference room. Seated were David, Edgar and Jim, Terry leaned against the conference table as she walked in the room. The team were ready to give their report on what they found out about Kami Keefer.


	7. Chapter 7 The Decision

Author's Note: I made a reference to one of my all time favorite American television situation comedy shows in this chapter. The show provided positive role models for all members of the family, and was very popular back in the 1980's. Unfortunately the real life police drama surrounding one of the actors in the show has tarnished the show's image in the minds of some people. This is not the case with me. I look at TV and the movies for what happens on the screen as the actors portrays the various roles not for what they do or do not do in real life.

Chapter 7 : The Decision

At exactly 3pm Hildy walked back into the office, and headed for the conference room. Seated were David, Edgar and Jim, while Terry leaned against the conference table as she walked into the room. The team was ready to give their report on what they found out about Kami Keefer.

Abbi followed Hildy into the room as she was curious to hear what the guys discovered. The few moments she spent conversing with Kami earlier today left a good impression on her. She did not believe the lady had an ulterior motive to 'take over' the firm as Terry ranted before. Abbi was confident that everything would work itself out.

"I have to say when I offered to look into Kami's background with David and Edgar, I did not know what to expect." Jim explained, looking at Hildy, and then Terry as he paused in his delivery. "We checked the police and FBI data bases, heck, we even checked the CIA. Then David hooked up with an old Army buddy of his who presently has connections with M.I.-5, and M.I.-6, seeing that Kami has this beautiful British accent and all,"

Jim looked at Terry with a twinkle in his eyes, and an ever so slight humour in his voice. Terry gave him a stern look, and Jim cleared his throat as he got serious once more and continued the report.

"Well Terry, if this lady didn't already set her sights on Hildy, I would ask her out on a date because her record is as clean as a whistle".

David and Edgar began to laugh at Jim's declaration which annoyed Terry. Upon hearing Jim words, Hildy let out a slow breath that she did not even know she was holding, as she quietly thanked Heavenly Father that Jim's report was positive. She even smiled at the gently poke Jim gave Terry with the dating comment.

Terry, however still felt a bit unsettled. Even though Emma was successful in calming him down, and getting him to see sense, Terry could be like a dog with a bone at times when he got in idea in his bald head.

"Terry," Edgar began, "We checked every possible thing we could check, and Ms. Kami Keefer is an upstanding citizen both in the States and in England. She holds dual citizenship because of her parents, and is a highly sort after expert in the computer world. She still designs software, and writes programs but in a free lance kind of way. She is not filthy rich like some of the computer geeks who control the major computer companies internationally but she has a sweet bank account. And from all accounts she is very generous with her money." Edgar looked at Terry to make sure what he was reporting was sinking in because as far as Edgar was concerned, Terry and Hildy should accept Kami's offer without hesitation.

He continued to share with his bosses what their investigation revealed. "Based on some of the information we got from our contacts, she makes sizable donations to hospitals and nursing homes. Added to this, she also gives away a lot of computer equipment, especially tablets and laptops to community centers in area that do not exactly have the best Zip Codes, if you catch my meaning."

By the way Edgar's spoke, Terry could tell he was impressed with Kami's philanthropic work. "I can tell you Terry that a lot of children in some parts of the US and several parts of the UK have a lot to thank Kami for".

"I knew it", Abbi chimed in, "… no way could she be the crook Terry was trying to make her out to be. She was really nice when she spoke to me this morning."

Terry looked at Abbi the way a strict father looks at his child who said something very silly, and said in a sarcastic, condescending tone "So, you are telling me Abbi, that because she spoke nicely to you she could not have been here under false pretense? Do you know how many persons I have arrested in my career who were the sweetest guys or the loveliest girls, but were rotten to the core inside. You can't judge a person by how nice they spoke to you Abbi."

The mood of the room immediately shifted. Abbi's features reflected the hurt she felt at Terry's words. "And you Terry need to stop looking for negative where no negative is present," David said in a quiet, but deadly serious tone of voice that he seldom used.

As a child David was the class clown, as a college student he was the life of the party because he could always make people laugh. As a police officer he was the guy everyone wanted in their squad because he was a genuinely nice, humorous guy, as well as being an excellent investigator. But, under all that joviality was a core of steel. He did not allow anyone to be taken advantage of in his presence. He did not condone bullying behaviour from anyone. It did not matter if it was the Commissioner of Police or the traffic cop. It did not matter if the person was his boss, and signed his monthly cheque, he would not sit there and see Terry take his frustration out on Abbi.

"Terry, we checked out Kami, and she is clean. So let go of the negative feelings." David told Terry and he looked at him intently. "Look for the positives in this situation Terry. Maybe God is giving you a blessing, but with your attitude you might make Him change His mind. And let me tell you this Mister, this firm means a lot to me too, and I will not encourage you to make a poor choice because of your stubborn pride" David continued in a gentler tone of voice.

Hildy was listening intently to everything that was said. Her heart felt relieved that the report confirmed what she knew instinctively. She felt like she had known Kami for a long time instead of only twenty four hours. There was no logical way to explain why she felt she could trust her but Hildy knew without a doubt that she could.

"Jim, I want to thank you for spear heading this impromptu investigation. Please thank your contacts in the FBI, CIA and other agencies for us. I know we have enough information to make an informed decision now." Hildy was about to stand and suggest to Terry that they speak privately when David looked at her and said "Hills, we are not finished with the report."

Hildy frowned, and wondered what else was there to cover?. Then David with a bit of a smirk on his lips asked "Wouldn't you like to know about the personal information we gathered Hills? Like how many times she was married, and where her children were born et cetera?"

In that instant, Hildy's heart sank as the blood drained from her face. It never crossed her mind that Kami was married, nor had children. But then again she was a beautiful woman, and any man would be lucky to be married to her.

Abbi looked at David, and suspected he was teasing Hildy. "David" she said as she looked at him and gently shook her head. "Oh, Ok, I am just pulling your leg Hildy" David chuckled, "Kami has never been married nor does she have children." A sense of relief washed over Hildy's body as David's words sunk. She narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a withering look as David, Jim and Edgar burst out laughing. Even Terry could not help but smile.

"As a matter of fact" Edgar chimed in, "I would not be surprised if the writers of the television sit-com that featured _The Huxtable Family_ used her family as the model for the show _"_. The three detectives then went on to reminisce about the good old days of TV, and the members of _The Huxtable_ _Family_ like Rudy, Theo and the others; all while totally ignoring Hildy as she wondered why they made the reference to the famous TV fictional family.

"Eddie, what you mean by _The Huxtables_ reference" Hildy asked.

"It is simple, Kami's mother, uncle, and grandparents are all high achievers, lived in a lovely home, financially well off and most important, from what we gathered seemed to have a solid family life." Edgar explained. After pondering for a moment Edgar continued in a very serious tone, " _The Huxtable Family_ reference was a positive one Hildy because of what the show stood for. Unfortunately it's legacy has been tarnished by the real life negative drama surrounding the person who acted in the father role on the show.

"In summary, Kami Keefer, does not pose any threat to our firm or to you personally Hildy." Jim stated as he closed the file in front of him. On that note Terry stood up and looked at Hildy indicating he wanted to speak with her privately. The meeting came to an end as the pair left the room and headed for Hildy's office.

Terry took a deep breath and apologized to Hildy for thinking the worse of Kami after she made her proposal. He went on to tell her that given the information the guys found out, he would no longer object to Kami becoming their partner. Hildy exhaled slowly and conferred with him on the decision.

"Are we OK Hills?" Terry asked as he looked at her with a slightly worried expression. She looked at him as she thought he could be bull headed at times but she knew he was very protective of the firm they had worked so hard to build up. And he was also protective of her. She nodded at him and told him "Yes we are OK".

Terry then quietly asked "Hills, what is going on with you and Kami?" Hildy leaned back in the chair and looked straight into Terry's eyes and said honestly, "Terry I don't know. All I know is I feel attracted to her, and it is stronger than I ever felt for anyone before". Terry nodded and soaked in that answer. "OK" was all he responded to her.

"Well. we have some paperwork to organize with lawyers and such. Seeing as I as the one who had issues with Kami, would you mind if I call her? I want to start the next chapter on a solid footing with Kami". Hildy smiled and told him she did not mind at all.

Terry placed the call and arranged with Kami for the firm's lawyers to look at the legal documents her lawyers will prepare for the new partnership. He went on to let her know that he was looking forward to their business arrangement, and felt confident they would all have a good relationship.

After he hung up the office phone Hildy poked him in his arm and told him. "You look good with humble pie on your face," As she smiled. Terry just shook his head and replied "Yeah, right" as he headed to his own office.

Just then Hildy's cell phone rang, she answered and said "Hello" without looking at the caller ID on the display. The voice that made her heart beat faster said "Thank you for deciding to accept my offer, Hildy. I believe that this partnership will work for us both". Hildy cleared her throat and said "I should be the one thanking you Kami for making the offer in the first place. And yes the firm will benefit from the new partnership."

Kami paused, and then said "I hope we can be friends Hildy, I would truly like to get to know you". Hildy gripped the phone tightly in her hand as she said " I would like that Kami" Both women smiled on their respective side of the phone, and wished each other a good night and indicated that they were looking forward to their first work day together the next day.

Hildy hung up the phone feeling happier that she had felt in a long time.


	8. Chapter 8 Slow and Study

Chapter 8: Slow and Study

The following morning Kami woke with a smile on her face as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times as the memory of yesterday's events came rushing through her mind. She could not believe it, so much had happened in the last thirty six hours.

From the phone call Hildy made to her on Monday, to the job interview, to her counter proposal, and finally to her being accepted as Hildy's and Terry's new partner. All of those events combined did not put the smile on her face, like the thought of getting to know one Hildy Mulligan.

Kami lay there and felt so very, very thankful to Heavenly Father for allowing Hildy's path to cross her own. If anyone had told her a few days ago that she would be starting a new relationship in a matter of days, she would have laughed them out of town. Yet here she was embarking on a new friendship with someone special. A friendship that she wanted to grow into something deeper and long lasting. Something that if she dared to hope, would be forever.

Forever. This one word slowly wiped the smile off her face. Kami continued to lie in bed as she allowed her mind to travel backwards in time as she examined the choices that brought her to this point of her life. A point where she was ready for a forever type relationship, and maybe if she dared to hope, even a family.

The choices that left one or two scars along the way. Choices that made her value freedom, and renewed her appreciation of how blessed she was to be single, and childfree. Kami sighed as she remembered the only two persons she had ever been intimate with.

The first person to this day made her shake her head as she recalled how desperate she was to look, and act 'normal' to her friends, and family. Dexter Phillip Matthews, was tall, dark, handsome, with a brilliant future ahead of him in the world of business.

They met at university, and even though they majored in different areas they became friends. She knew he had a big crush on her from day one, but she felt nothing beyond friendship for him. However, as the months rolled into years Kami allowed the weight of family expectations, and pressure from friends, to push her into an intimate relationship with Dexter, one that she was not emotionally prepared for. From the time she crossed that line, she felt like she sold a piece of her soul. One sell out lead to another, and before she know what she was doing, she was engaged to Dexter, with a big wedding being planned by both their families.

Kami got out of bed and walked into her kitchen as the memories kept flooding her mind. "Poor Dexter, he never could understand why I was never impressed with what he considered to be his prowess in the bedroom, or the plans he had for a house full of children" Kami said aloud to the empty room. "Thank the Good Lord I never got pregnant!" Kami mused as she began to prepare her breakfast. "Hildy is such a beautiful woman, I wonder if she was ever engaged?" Kami asked herself. The image of Hildy in Kami's mind, made her get the radiant smile once more as her thoughts slowly returned to her memories.

It was at that period in time, during the relationship with Dexter, a relationship that lasted way too long, she finally totally, and completely, bared her heart to God. She told Him how desperate she felt trying to do the right thing as far as He, and everyone was concerned. It was in that moment of totally honesty, that she found peace.

A peace that gave her courage. A peace that gave her wings. A peace that propelled her to shed the cloak of heterosexuality she wore like a tight second skin. It was a peace that enabled her to finally be honest with Dexter, and end their engagement before she made even more mess of an already messy situation.

After her relationship with Dexter, Kami dated women, and indulged in a few kisses here, a few caresses there, but refrained from entering into an intimate relationship with anyone. This was a period of emotional growth and sexual awareness for her. She did not want to jump into bed just for the sake of experiencing lesbian love. She wanted her next sexual experience to be motivated by love and only love. Unfortunately fate had other plans.

As Kami went through her morning toiletries and prepared to dress for her first day at the firm, she thought of the old adage that was attributed to the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche which says: "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger". She understood this old saying personally. The last several years of her life was like emotional pregnancy. She grew, she developed and then she went through the birthing process which resulted in the person she was now.

Joyce Amy Zachery was the woman who was the catalyst for the growth Kami experienced. It was she who taught Kami what love _was not_ by the way she treated Kami. As the memory of her old lover shadowed her mind, she was grateful for the life lessons she learned from the negative relationship they shared. For without it, Kami would not know how to truly love, and appreciate the goodness in others.

"Enough, enough," she admonished herself as she finally banished the memories of her former lovers to the corner of the basement of her mind. As she left her apartment and was about to exit the building, Trevor was also leaving to head to work. He gave her a radiant smile as he asked "Did, Jim's firm call you?" By the way Kami's face lit up at the question Trevor was sure they did, and she had a job offer.

"Trevor, thank you for telling me about the firm." Kami said as she smiled.

"You are more than welcome, so did they offer you the job? " Trevor enquired. "Yes they did, but it turned out they could not afford my services, so I made them a counter offer." Kami informed him with a chuckle as she looked at the confused expression on his face.

"Could not afford your services?... Counter offer? …I do not understand." Trevor stammered. By this time they were out on the pavement, and Kami began to look for a taxi to take her to work as she did not want to be late. "It's just what I said, they could not afford me so I offered to buy into the firm and provide them with the computer equipment and expertise they needed." Kami retorted with a twinkle in her green specked brown eyes.

"You can afford to do that Kami? How?" Trevor asked as he looked at her and began to wonder who exactly she was. A cab stopped in front of her, she got in, looked through the window with a smile and said as the cab pulled away from the curb, "I can afford it because you pay rent to me." Trevor stayed looking at her as the taxi drove off. "What does she mean I pay rent to her?" He asked himself aloud.

Several blocks away, in Hildy's apartment, as she came down from the emotional high of the last two days, doubts began to fill her mind. As she ate breakfast Hildy experienced an internal battle between her heart and mind. Her heart was saying "trust me" and her head was saying "you are a trained investigator, you do not make snap judgments about people, you have to build a case, and see where the evidence takes you." Hildy, decided to find a middle ground between the counsel of her heart and mind. She would proceed cautiously and she gets to know Kami. "Slow and study, slow and study," she told herself over and over.

As she left her apartment, Hildy allowed herself to face a fear she did not like thinking about. She was not very confident when it came to sexual matters even though she had two previous female lovers and was solely attracted to women. She grimaced, as the fears bubbled to the surface while she walking along the streets of Manhattan. Memories of feeling less than adequate at times in the bedroom, gave Hildy somewhat of an inferiority complex.

Hildy's level of satisfaction during love making often left a lot to be desired. So to cover her inadequacies as she saw it, she researched various books on the art of making lesbian love. This lead to her being an attentive lover to her partners in an attempt to divert attention from the fact that she seldom attained orgasms.

She took on a dominant role in the bedroom, and seldom let her lovers touch her intimately. Not because she did not want to be touched, on the contrary she longed and yearned for it. But because she did not want to balance on the precipice of a climate only to tumble back down without going over. So to save face, she kept her lovers busy, and tired in bed, this gave them little opportunity to reciprocate what she did to them.

As she walked the few blocks from her apartment to the office, she wondered if Kami would pick up on her ruse. "Yesterday it felt like Kami saw into my soul when she looked at me, I won't be surprised if she were to figure out that I catch my tail to achieve a climax" she thought as she approached the building where the firm was.

An inner voice told her that Kami will be disappointed if they ever reach the stage of making love. As Hildy entered the office she softly said "Lord, I don't want to mess this up but my body usually responds so slowly to love making. I world die inside from embarrassment if I were to fail in the bedroom with Kami, aaarrrgggghhh." These words were not a prayer exactly as Hildy spoke them aloud, they were a wish, a hope for a better intimate outcome than what she experienced in the past.

Abbi turned towards the front door, and smiled as Hildy entered. "Hey Hills, you talking to yourself again." Hildy forced a smile and hoped Abbi did not hear her words. "Yes girl, but I still have not begun having a complete conversation with myself" Hildy retorted as she mentally kicked herself for mumbling aloud. Just then, she saw a young technician hooking up a computer near to Abbi's desk.

Abbi, observing Hildy's line of vision stepped forward and introduced the young man to Hildy, and told her that he explained what cord was connected to what machine a few minutes ago. From the way she was grinning from ear to ear, Hildy knew the Abbi enjoyed the computer installation lesson. Hildy walked towards the inner office and saw workmen installing computers on brand new desks. Several new chairs were lined against the wall, and packaging boxes were littered all over the floor. Hildy walked to the engine room as she heard the guys conversing.

She stopped at the door and surveyed the scene before her. The space was converted into a high tech looking command post, and resembled some big time military operation. She could see the excited looks on each of her team's faces. They reminded her of children on Christmas morning, unwrapping their gifts, and seeing the toys they wanted.

Then she heard the voice that warmed her soul over the last few days, say in a slightly unsure tone, "Good morning Hildy. I hope the hardware I had installed fits into what you were expecting."

Hildy looked into the beautiful face that had a look of uncertainty, and smiled as she said "it more than meets my expectations". Then Kami smiled at her, and all the fears that plagued her mind mere minutes before vanished.


	9. Chapter 9 First Steps

Chapter 9 First Steps

For the next couple hours, Kami with the help of a team of efficient computer technicians installed everything she promised the firm. They also gave tutorials on how to operate and synchronize all the equipment. During the course of the morning both Kami's and the firm's lawyers finalized the purchase agreement that was acceptable to the three new partners.

Kami was a quick learner. She listened and observed everything the guys did, and said, as they brainstormed one of the cases they were working on. The case involved a missing toddler who seemingly disappeared without a trace from Marine Park Brooklyn, when her baby sitter was supervising her. The police were getting nowhere, and believed the little girl was dead, out of the state or maybe even out the country as a victim of human trafficking.

The little girl's grandparents came to Terry and Hildy in desperation, hoping that they could find something the police missed. The child's parents were dead and her grandparents were the only family she had. As the team discussed the case, Kami went to her computer and did what she did best.

She crossed referenced the images on the street cameras in and around the park on the day the child went missing, with images of persons who were in and around the park for two weeks prior to the disappearance.

Using a special facial recognition program that she altered from the standard program the police used, Kami was able to detect a person who was in the park each day around the time the baby sitter routinely took the little girl to the park. The computer program was able to see similarities in the facial structure of the individual even though the way the person dressed was vastly different each day he/she came to the park.

Hildy stood to the side of the engine room and watched Kami's fingers fly across the keys as she had an intense look on her face. Hildy could not stop herself from admiring Kami's strong looking forearms, and slender fingers.

She actually felt jealous of the keyboard as it felt the caress of the graceful fingers. Kami had a way of stopping after a flurry for lightening typing of the keys, and just hovered her fingers over the letters. Sometimes she even unconsciously caressed them while she mentally worked through a problem that she was trying to resolve on the computer. Then she would once again type away at lightening speeds.

As Hildy looked at Kami with open admiration, David looked at Hildy and saw the admiration mixed with longing, and a hint of lust in her eyes. Immediately a provoking smile crossed his lips as he slowly walked over to where she was standing and asked.

"Have you ever heard of the artist Stephanie Sarley?" Hildy shook her head no. David leaned into Hildy and in a confidential manner softly said "Kami's fingers on the keyboard makes me think of the artist fingers on fruit. I think you would enjoy what the artist does with fruit Hildy. Maybe you should Google her name". Hildy knew David well enough to know that when he smiled at someone like that he was in overdrive teasing mode.

She decided to do as he suggested and check out the artist on Google. When she saw the fruit video that David made reference to her jaw literally dropped open, and she blushed several shades red. Kami chose that moment to look away from her computer screen and look directly at her.

"What's wrong Hildy?" Kami asked in a concerned voice as she saw and sensed Hildy embarrassment. Hildy blushed even more as she realized Kami saw her blushing. Kami immediately stepped away for her computer and came over to Hildy who quickly minimize the screen.

David busted out laughing as he looked at the scene unfolding before him. This earned him a glare from Hildy that could turn metal to ash.

Kami tried to understand what was going on between the two. She knew David teased Hildy, and she suspected it had something to do with sex from the way Hildy was blushing and looking embarrassed. Kami asked again what was wrong, and this time Hildy said "Oh, nothing, nothing," Kami decided to drop it as she knew it would be child's play for her to retrieve the web page Hildy minimized moments ago. So instead she placed her hand over Hildy's and gentle squeezed her fingers.

Hildy and Kami immediately felt a jolt as their skin touched. If they were asked to describe the feeling, they both would have said it felt like an electric shock. Hildy had never had that kind of physical reacting to anyone before, and it caused the war between her mind and heart to renew their battle.

Kami on the other hand felt reassured that her gut feeling about Hildy was correct. She knew her future lay with this precious, self doubting woman, with whom she was presently holding eye contact. Kami did not want to make Hildy feel more conflicted so she went back to her desk top, and the program she was using.

"I think I may have found something that we can use," Kami announced to the entire room. Terry, Edgar and Jim were all so engrossed at their own computers that she had to repeat herself to catch their attention. When all eyes finally turned on her she continued.

"I used a modified version of a facial recognition program the law enforcement agencies use, and I have been able to identify the same person being in the park every day around the same time for the last few weeks."

Terry leaped out of his chair at this information. "Can you enlarge the face? He asked Kami. "I could but the images would not help you identify the person. But there is another program that I am running now that dissects and resets features in order to give a clear image of the face. This program will give us a face any second now." Before Kami could finish speaking the face of a woman appeared on the screen.

Hildy immediately said "Kami, run the face through every available data base we have access to." Kami followed her instruction immediately. Then Hildy gave some more quick instructions to Kami that would narrow down the information that was popping up on the screen, and Kami followed them as soon as the words left Hildy's mouth.

Jim, Edgar, David and Terry all looked at each other as the same general thought crossed their minds. Hildy and Kami were moving in sync, and the guys all allowed their thoughts to roam further. They hoped that a relationship between the woman they all considered to be their younger sister and the newest member of their team would materialize and be long lasting.

In a matter of a couple minutes the woman was identified, and her life story was displayed across the screen. Her name was Margret Edison and eight months ago her husband and daughter were killed in a random act of violence. A gunman who was angry at his former employer entered a business place in a Brooklyn mall, and fired shots randomly. Several persons were killed, and more were wounded.

Margret's life changed that day. She had a nervous breakdown, and was placed on medical leave from her job. According to the information that they were accessing, her psychiatric treatment went well, and she was scheduled to back at work one month ago. That date corresponded to the time the toddler was taken from Marine Park in Brooklyn. When Kami pulled up her work schedule for the last month, it stated she had not reported to work at the fire station where she was employed as an ambulance driver.

Terry immediately called the Fire Station where Margret worked and spoke to the Chief. He explained that he was investigating a sensitive matter involving a child, and felt that Margret could provide the firm with some additional information that might be helpful.

The Chief explained that Margret requested additional medical leave after she got the all clear from the psychiatrist. Even though the station does not normally hold a position for as long as Margret has been away, the Chief explained that he wanted her to have a job when she was better. He also told Terry that he spoke to Margret up to the previous week, and she assured him that she would be back soon.

When Terry came off the phone Jim said "I know it looks like this lady might be involved because she was in the park so often but we have no video footage linking her to the child." Just then Kami who was still typing on the computer uploaded a photo of a young child that looked a little older than the toddler who was missing. The child in the photo on the monitor had the same hair, and eye colouring as the missing child. Kami told the team that the child on the screen was Margret's daughter who was killed months ago.

"It might be a long shot but it is all we have right now, I think we should visit Margret's home in Brooklyn." Terry said as he reached for his licensed firearm. The rest of the team grabbed their jackets and guns as they began heading for the door.

"Wait! I want to come with you." Kami looked at the backs of the retreating investigators. Terry turned and said, "Kami, we do not know what we might be walking into, it is safer for you to stay here". Kami, was not about to be left behind, and reminded Terry of a few things he needed to now be mindful of.

"Terry, I am an equal partner of this firm now, and even though I was not here for the beginning of the case, I want to see how this ends. If this woman is as heartbroken over the death of her child as I suspect she is, and IF she has the toddler, it is unlikely she harmed the child.

Terry was not pleased that he was reminded of their new partnership but he knew he could not keep Kami away if he tried. He responded to her words by saying, "If the woman has the child it is true the child may be safe. However, we will be going there to take back the child, and that could make the woman turn violent, you never know what could happen and I will not take responsibility for your safety Kami".

"I will take responsibility for Kami's safety." Hildy said with a note of authority in her voice. Kami produced a smile upon hearing those words that was worthy of any toothpaste commercial. Terry just shook his head as David said in a cheery voice "Why am I not surprised". Hildy who was standing close to him give him an elbow to the side that just made him laugh.

The team took the firm's two SUV's that they kept parked in the building's garage, and headed as quickly as the speed limit would allow to the Brooklyn address where Margret lived. Terry, Jim and Edgar were in one vehicle and Hildy, Kami and David were in the other.

Every time Hildy looked in the rear view mirror at David who was sitting in the back, he looked at her with a silly provoking grin on his face. Every time he made to open his mouth she told him "Not one word David." in her firmest bad cop voice. This only made him smile more but he did honour her instruction and stayed quiet.

The investigators communicated with each other via some of the new equipment Kami provided while on route to the house. As they turned onto the street where the house was situated, the team members had their strategy laid out. Hildy would ring the bell and engage Margret in conversation while Terry, Edgar and David would enter the back. Jim would keep watch from in front but across the street, and Kami would stay in the vehicle and listen to the audio of what was taking place.

The team all went into position, and as was agreed Hildy rang the door bell. As Margret was about to open the door, Kami stepped right up to Hildy's back. Hildy turned in surprise to ask Kami why she was not in the car. At the exact moment the front door opened.

"Can I help you?" Margret asked. "We hope so. We are so sorry to bother you but we were looking to buy a home in this area, and as we drove by we noticed the lovely flowers on your front lawn, and decided on the spur of the moment to ask you if you knew of any place for sale." Kami said as she gently placed her hand around Hildy's waist. Hildy was in shock at the story Kami spun, at the hand around her waist, and Oh Goodness, at the response her body was making to the firm massage Kami's hand was giving her side.

Margret looked at them with a slightly suspicious expression but then Kami turned to Hildy and placed a gentle kiss on her temple, and Margaret facial muscles relaxed.

She told them that there was a For Sale sign at the house at the corner but they took it down just a few days ago. Hildy nerve endings were on over load from where Kami's lips touched her skin, and it was making her vocal chords useless. She stood there and said nothing. She was the trained professional, she was the one suppose to engage Margret in conversation while the team quietly searched the house, and there she was like a tongue tied teenager.

Just then, Kami and Hildy saw Terry walk towards them from the back of the house with a little girl in their arms. Margret turned as she heard footsteps, and froze. As the other investigators approached her, she slowly crumpled to the floor and began to silently cry. Then in the saddest pain filled voice the team ever heard, Margret said "I knew someone would come, I knew someone would come. I just wanted her for a little while. I did not hurt her".

The team members looked at each other wondering what to do. Margret committed a crime but she was in such obvious emotional pain that the thought of her going to jail did not sit right with any of them. Hildy finally found her voice and called the toddler's grandparents, gave them the address for the house and told them to come immediately. In a matter of minutes they were there and when their little granddaughter saw them, she laughed and stretched her arms to them.

After conferring with the grandparents and each other it was decided that even though Margret would be arrested for the crime, the grandparents would not press any charges. They were confident that a thorough medical examination would show the child was not abused in any way, and as a matter of fact she was well looked after.

The firm would use their contacts to get Margret checked in to a private psychiatric hospital instead of the State owned one. A hospital where she would get the care she needed to gain the resilience to overcome her grief.

When the team finally returned to the office after a lot of police and medical reports, Hildy pulled Kami to the side and said to her in a firm voice "Don't ever disregard instructions at a potential crime scene like that again. We did not know what we were walking into, and what you did could have put everyone in danger."

Kami listened patiently to Hildy and said "Hills, I am not the sit back and let others do the work kind of person. My gut told me there was nothing to fear from the woman who lost so much. I always listen to my gut" Then she looked deeply into Hildy's eyes and smiled.

Hildy melted inside but she still kept up her serious tone as she said "Your actions were reckless Kami, we were lucky this time."

"Hills, we closed the case, and no one was hurt, let's not lose sight of that. Focus on what went right not on what did not go according to plan"

Just then Edgar approached them, and asked "We are all going to grab some dinner at the Italian restaurant down the street. Are you both coming?".

Kami begged off, she explained that she had a few things to take care of at home but would love to have dinner with them another night. Hildy was taken aback by her response, and also felt disappointed but she tried to hide it. Kami gathered her things and bid everyone good night as she left for the day.

Every fibre of her being wanted to go to dinner with Hildy, and the guys but Kami had a plan. She wanted her first dinner with Hildy to be special not a group affair. Plus she wanted Hildy to want her enough that she would move past the inner conflict Kami was sensing in her. Kami knew she whetted Hildy appetite today with the touches. She hoped the sexual tension would be enough for Hildy initiate their next physical contact.

Later that night Kami remembered that David teased Hildy prior to her quickly minimizing the image on the monitor as Kami approached her. Kami from the comfort of her bedroom logged into the firm's network and selected the desktop Hildy was working on earlier in the day.

Kami clicked on the artist name and pressed play for the YouTube video, and like Hildy did earlier today, her mouth dropped open and she too blushed. But unlike Hildy, Kami eventually laughed, as she looked forward to a sexually fulfilling future with Hildy when the time was right.

Author's Notes: I made reference to an artist named Stephanie Sarley in this chapter. If you go to YouTube and look up her name and check for the video called Fruit for Feminism, you will see the video that made both Hildy and Kami drop their jaws.


	10. Chapter 10 Accepted

Chapter 10 : Accepted

The next morning the team was still on a mental high because they closed the case the day before. The case emotionally drained them because it involved a child. The end result could have turned out very differently if someone other than Margret took the toddler.

"I began to lose hope that we would ever find the little girl alive." Edgar shook his head as he tried to imagine for the umpteenth time what the grand parents went through.

"Thank God everything worked out." David chimed in. "And also thank God that Kami joined the firm when she did. The equipment and expertise she brought is what turned the case around," Jim softly said. The three men sat quietly as each mentally reviewed the events of the previous day. Just then Terry arrived at work and told them Hildy had to stop off at the police station as they needed some additional information concerning the toddler case.

"Terry, you made the right decision when you agreed to Kami's proposal the other day," Jim said as he walked over to where Terry was standing. "Her expertise is what we needed to close that case."

"I know I initially responded badly at the thought of having Kami for a partner, but she really showed me…showed us that she is as good as her reputation indicated. I am glad I did not allow my pride to stand in the way of what was best for the firm". Edgar and David both nodded in agreement.

The men heard Abbi's voice, then the British accent that sounded so lovely, ushered in Kami's arrival. She entered the engine room looking as fresh as a flower after a light shower of rain. "Good morning everyone, as I passed the bakery down the street I could not help but stop and pick up a few pastries to go with our morning tea." Edgar immediately made a bee line to the box with the still warm goodies in it and Abbi was right behind him.

Kami looked around the room and asked if Hildy was in the lounge as she had not seen her. Terry took the opportunity to explain that she was at the police station as the officers in charge of the toddler's case needed some additional information.

"So tell me Kami, how does it feel to be working for a private investigation firm?" Terry asked her as he helped himself to a cheese scone.

"I have to admit yesterday was really exciting. And when the information that we gathered lead us to the child, I felt a sense of relief that the child was safe and unharmed."

"I understand what you mean with the sense of relief because the situation could have gone in the opposite direction." Terry told her in a serious tone. Then he continued to say "I am happy you are part of our team Kami, and I hope you feel welcomed here with us.

"Yes I do. In the short time I have interacted with all of you, you made me feel comfortable in your presence". Kami smiled as she responded. Her smile had a quality about it that made everyone want to smile along with her, and they all did.

The next few hours were spent on paper work, and following leads via the phone for the other open cases that were pending. However, while each investigator was focused on the various tasks, they were all thinking about Hildy and how the latest addition to their team will impact her life. Stevie Wonder could have seen the attraction between the women they thought, and even though each man was happy for Hildy, they were also felt cautious at the same time.

When Kami got up and headed to the lounge to put the kettle on for a mid morning cup of tea, David followed her into the room. "May I have a word with you Kami," he asked. "Sure, what can I do for you?" Kami replied.

"I have known Hildy for a long time. She is a decent, warm, caring woman. A blind man can see the attraction between the two of you, and I am happy for Hildy. I just want to caution you Kami because I do not know you very well. Maybe you have pure and good intentions but on the off chance you do not, I am warning you. Do not mess with her heart because she is loved by everyone at this office and if you hurt her, I will hurt you." David said the words in such a calm soft voice that one might have been tempted to dismiss the seriousness of the words, if it wasn't for the steely look in his eyes.

"I can assure you David that I have no intension of hurting Hildy. I feel in my heart that our paths were allowed to cross at this time for a reason. That reason is we are both at a place in our lives where we are ready for a new beginning, and I hope she will be willing to have a new beginning with me". Kami said sincerely. David nodded and replied softly "As long as we understand each other." Then he left the lounge. Kami took David's words seriously and she followed him out the room.

As she sat at her desktop organizing files for the team, Edgar came over and sat next to her as he softly said, "Hildy is like a sister to me, and I do not want to see her get hurt Kami. A deaf person could hear music when you two look at each other. I do not really know you Kami. I get a good vibe from you but at the same time if for some reason my gut feeling is wrong, I want you to know this. If you are serious about her, I will be behind you 100%. But if you are just looking for a roll in the hay, remember I can make you disappear and no trace of you will ever be found."

Kami looked at the seriousness in his eyes, and knew he meant it. Kami matched the seriousness in his eyes with a seriousness in her own as she said "I assure you Edgar that I would hurt myself before I ever do anything to hurt Hildy," Edgar nodded and said "Good, as long as he have an understanding." Then he got up and went back to his desk.

After a while Kami went into Terry's office, and gave him a printout of a document she knew he needed for a case they were working on. As she prepared to walk out his office he said - "Treat her kindly please. I have seen the way she looks at you Kami in the short time you have been around. I want Hildy to have long term happiness, please give her your all because I know she will give you her all". With those words Terry gave her a small smile. Kami wondered to herself if Hildy knew how deeply these men cared about her. She smiled back at Terry without saying a word as she left his office.

She pondered all the warnings and words of counsel as Jim approached her outside of Terry's office. Kami braced herself for another warning but none came. Instead Jim placed his arm around her shoulder and said "You two make a lovely looking couple. I am rooting for you". Kami relaxed and told Jim thank you.

After the guys all made their positions clear, Kami decided she needed to get away from the office for a few minutes so she left. As she exited the building in which the firm was located, she literally walked right into Hildy as she was about to enter.

They both laughed and apologized at the same time. "How did things go at the police station?" Kami asked her.

"It is times like these I am most thankful that I left the police force; too much paper work and long hours". Hildy said with a mixture of frustration and laughter in her voice. Kami listened to her and felt glad she was now a part of her life, part of the day to day mundane happenings.

"What are you doing outside? I thought you would be deep into another case by now" Hildy smiled as she enquired.

"I just needed a break from the guys" Kami replied with a thoughtful look on her face.

Hildy sensed immediately that something happened. "What did they say or do?" she asked in a serious voice. "If David had a go at you with his teasing, I will have a serious word with him and then put him in his place." Hildy continued in a stern voice.

Kami felt touched that Hildy wanted to protect her. Kami inhaled deeply as she wondered just how much information she should share about what transpired between her and the guys. "Hills, I want you to know something," Kami began. "Even though we have not known each other very long, I feel like I have known you all my life. I would not knowingly nor deliberately do anything to hurt you; whether the hurt is emotional or physical. I want you to know that Hildy".

Hildy looked at her with a frown as she asked again "Kami what did the guys say to you? Did they warn you about hurting me? Is that it?" Kami looked at her and tilted her head to the side as she said, "Let's just say that they want the best for you, and I intend to provide you with just that".

Hildy looked at her intently and knew that Kami was not going to divulge anything else at the moment. But she promised herself that if she could not get more information out of Kami she would literally twist David's arm if she had to until he sang like a cannery and confessed what he said to Kami that lead her to take refuge on the chilly Manhattan street.

Hildy thought to herself "If I go to the firm now I know I will hurt David and I don't want to subject Kami to that. A break from the Keystone Cops upstairs is in order right about now", she mentally mused.

Instead she said aloud "I spent the morning with a lot of police officers, mostly male, and I could do with a break from all that testosterone. I know the air is a bit cool but how about we take a walk up to Central Park and sit for awhile". Kami's face broke into a lovely smile as she said "I would like that very much".

As they began walking the two blocks to Columbus Circle, Hildy kept playing around with ideas on how to touch Kami's hand without looking obvious. Since yesterday when Kami placed her hand around her waist and gently massaged her side, she longed for another touch. As for the kiss on her temple, just the thought of it made her feel warm inside.

The ladies found a bench a little way into the park and sat down. "I know you won't hurt me Kami. I don't know what David or the others said to you but I trust you." And with that declaration Hildy decided to be bold and just follow her feelings. She leaned closer to Kami and placed her arms around her and drew her into a hug as she placed her head at the side of Kami's head.

Kami let out an involuntary sigh as she felt herself being wrapped in arms that felt so loving and protective. Hildy heard the sigh and smiled as her body temperature went up a few notches. The ladies stayed like that for several moments before Hildy gently pulled back.

Kami looked at her as she thought, "I know this does not make sense but I already love this woman," Hildy saw the look in Kami's eyes and wondered if she read the expression correctly.

The lyrics of the old Dusty Springfield song titled 'The Look of Love', began racing through Hildy's mind. In that exact moment Hildy understood why song writers wrote so many 'sappy songs' as she use to call them. In that moment every lyric took on a new and lasting meaning. In that moment the conflict between her heart and mind ended. Her mind took out the white flag and energetically waved it. The battle ended as her mind surrendered. Hildy looked lovingly and longingly back at Kami, and time seemed to stand still. Then she smiled and the communication between the two ladies was complete.

Author's notes: If you go to YouTube and type in Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love you can hear the song I referred to. In the mean time these are the lyrics:

 _The look of love  
Is in your eyes  
A look your smile can't  
disguise_

 _The look of love  
Is saying so much more than  
Just words could every say  
And what my heart has heard  
Well it takes my breath away_

 _[Chorus]  
I can hardly wait to hold you  
Feel my arms around you  
How long I have waited  
Waited just to love you  
Now that I have found you_

 _You've got the look of love  
It's on your face  
A look that time can't erase  
Baby be mine, tonight_

 _Let this be just the start of  
So many nights like this  
Let's take a lovers vow  
And seal it with a kiss_

 _[Chorus]_

 _Don't ever go  
Don't ever go  
I love you so  
The look of love_

 _Let this be just the start of  
So many nights like this  
Let's take a lover's vow  
And baby we'll seal it with a kiss_


	11. Chapter 11 Moving Forward

Chapter 11 Moving Forward

The ladies spent the next hour sitting in the park and then they walked along the path for a while. They began sharing their past with each other and it was like having a canvas come to life before their eyes. Colours were added to colours, textures were blended with textures as the canvas scenes timeline took shape.

Hildy learned that Kami came out to her parents and extended family years ago after she broke off her engagement with Dexter. "Hildy, when I finally got up the nerve to tell my father that I was attracted to women, he told me he had known for years and was praying I would come to my senses and cancel the wedding before I made the worse mistake of my life." Kami's eyes misted over as she reminisced.

"You could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me that Hills. I was so shocked. I am sure my face resembled a fish with my mouth hanging open". Kami chuckled and Hildy placed her arm around her waist as she mirrored what Kami did the day before.

"Well, long story short, both my parents accepted my sexuality, and eventually my grandparents accepted it also. The relationship that we share is stronger than before".

Kami looked at Hildy and noticed the shadow of sadness that flitted across her features as she spoke about her family.

"What's wrong Hildy? Are you out to your parents?" Kami asked with concern in her voice. They continued to walk for a few moments before Hildy responded to Kami's quarry. In a quiet voice Hildy shared that she was not out to her parents and their relationship was not as close as she wished it was.

They lived in Houston, Texas and it was years since she saw them even though they spoke on the phone every week. After sharing this information Hildy got quiet as they continued to walk.

Kami knew that this was an emotionally sensitive topic for her friend so she did not push her to share more than she was ready to. She also knew that she would support Hildy in whatever she wanted to do with regards to the relationship with her parents.

She knew from personal experience that a load was lifted off of her shoulder when she made peace with Heavenly Father and then was honest with her parents and grandparents about the secret she carried for so long.

Kami hoped that Hildy would take the first step on the path that would free her of the weight on her heart. Kami knew it took a type of courage that was different from other types of courage to step out of the closet. When it came to one's family if they chose to reject you because of your sexuality, the cut would be deeper then any other emotional cut. And even though the wound would heal the scar would remain forever.

"Hills, I am here for you. If the relationship with your parents remains the same, I am here. If you want to broach the subject with them, I am here for you also. Whatever you want to do you will have my complete support".

Hildy listened to the sincerity of the words Kami spoke and her heart felt like it swelled within her chest. Never before had someone been willing to stand by her side like this. Hildy prided herself with the fact that she did not do tears as she called it. She worked hard to rise to the rank of Inspector before she resigned form the Police Service in San Francisco. She built a persona while she worked as an officer that stood for no nonsense. It wasn't that she never cried but she never let anyone see her tears because in her mind she felt that tears made her look weak.

Yet in that moment, walking in the park with Kami, and hearing the concern in her voice, Hildy felt her eyes fill with tears. She quickly turned away so that Kami would not see her cry. She pretended to be fascinated by one of the colourful bicycle carriages off to the side of where they were walking. Kami was a very astute woman and she immediately realized that Hildy was fighting a losing battle holding back tears.

She wanted to just wrap her arms around her friend and tell her it would be OK. But she was not sure if Hildy would want that as she was trying so hard to pretend that she was not crying. Kami decided to let Hildy have a moment to collect herself, and did not say anything to alert Hildy that she observed the tears. Instead she too commented on the bicycle carriages, and the emotional moment was contained.

After walking some more in silence Hildy spoke softly. "Thank you Kam for offering to support my decision whatever it may be. I realize that sooner or later I will need to tell them. I had girlfriends in the past, but the relationships were never serious enough to tempt me to come out to my parents. But now life is changing". Kami looked at her as she analysed what she meant behind the words. Never one to hesitate in asking for clarity if she was unsure what someone meant, she decided to do just that.

"What do you mean Hills?"

Hildy turned to her and simply said "I want a future with you Kami. Therefore, sooner or later most likely sooner rather than later I will have to tell my parents about my sexuality. I have no intention of dodging questions from my mother any longer when she ask me if I am dating anyone or when she tells me that she wants grandchildren before she dies. Neither do I have any intention of keeping you a secret. I want to speak freely when I call my parents. I want to be able to call you by your name or say 'she' or 'her' and not edit my words in an effort to shield my companion's gender".

Kami raised her eyebrows as she listened to the determined tone in Hildy's voice as she let the seriousness of the statement sink into her mind. She thought to herself, "Am I hearing correctly?" Then she said a silent prayer in her heart thanking Heavenly Father for letting Hildy verbalize the future she saw for them together.

Hildy continued "Kami, I am thirty five years old and I in my line of work, well at least in the past, I never put much emphasis in making long term plans with anyone because the risk of being killed in the line of duty was always a possibility. But now as I am a private investigator, I feel a future is possible. I would like our friendship to grow and see where it leads".

Hildy worded the last sentence that way because she did not want her long term plans to come over too strong. In her heart she knew exactly where she wanted the future to lead. She wanted it all with Kami. She wanted a life, she wanted a home, and she wanted children. Even though she saw love in Kami's eyes earlier, she was so used to holding her feelings inside that she was a little bit afraid to show too much of her heart too soon.

Kami, walked alongside Hildy in silence as she wondered if to speak her mind or to edit her words to make Hildy feel more comfortable because she sensed Hildy was guarding her words. As the silence stretched on, memories of Joyce came rushing through Kami's mind. Memories of how she use to often times hold her tongue when she wanted to speak up about something. All because she did not want to upset her former lover if the topic in question was not in line with what Joyce wanted or expected Kami to say.

When she walked away from that toxic relationship she promised herself that she would always be true to her feelings. Open and honest communication regardless of how the recipient of the communication took what she had to say was her personal motto. And looking at Hildy now and seeing her looking vulnerable while trying to look cool helped Kami to make a decision.

"Hildy can we sit for a minute?" Kami asked as she indicated a bench to the side of the path. As they sat and looked at each other Kami continued. "I also want what you said Hills but I want more". Kami looked at her with her eyebrows in a tense almost straight line.

"Hildy, I too am thirty five years old and like you I want to have a future. But unlike you I do not want to just let our friendship grow and see where it leads. I want to direct the path our friendship takes. I want to nurture the garden that the friendship grows in. I have no intension of just leaving things to chance not when I feel so strongly. From the first time we spoke on the phone I felt a connection that I never felt before. Then the first time I saw you and shook your hand I felt a charge run through my entire being that was more that just physical. Hildy I don't want to see where this leads. In my mind I already know where it leads. I hope you will care enough about me to be by my side as we walk the length of life's road together".

Hildy looked into Kami's eyes and saw the determination, concern and hope in her expression. Hildy knew that even though her heart won the battle over her mind, old patterns of behaviour took time to change. She was so accustomed to guarding her words, of giving part of herself when deep inside she longed to give her all. Seeing the open honesty in Kami's eyes gave her a moment of panic. She wanted all of Kami and she wanted to give all of herself to her but she was not sure how. She silently appealed to Heavenly Father to show her how to express what she felt in her heart.

Kami saw the battle raging inside her friend and reached out and gently placed her hand on Hildy's cheek as she softly rubbed her thumb back and forth across her soft smooth skin. Hildy leaned into her hand and softly kissed her palm as she said "I want all of you Kami. I want to share my life with you. I want to wake up each morning with you spooned into my body. I want to rub your feet at the end of the day when you are tired. I want to cook your favourite foods. I want to place my arms around you and hug you when you feel stressed. I want to protect you from any and everything that tries to hurt you. I want to laugh with you. I want to cry with you. I want to have a home with you. I want all of you."

They looked into each other's eyes as a tear softly rolled down Kami's cheek. That tear was the impetus that drew Hildy's lips to Kami's and they kissed. The kiss was soft, gentle and filled with love. After a few moments they pulled apart and looked at each other as they smiled in harmony. Then it was like their lips wanted more and they leaned in for a second kiss as a heat flooded every nerve ending in both their bodies. Hildy gently pushed her tongue against Kami's lips as she opened to her. As soon as Hildy's tongue touched the inside of her mouth, Kami felt a surge of electricity run from her mouth to the centre of her garden. Her body's response to Hildy's lips was like nothing she ever felt before and a moan erupted form deep inside while Hildy was turning her into a mass of molten heat.

After what could have been seconds or minutes the kiss ended. Kami knew that she was attracted to Hildy from the moment she met her but she did not expect to feel a response so powerfully.

"Wow" was all the lady with the beautiful accent and an excellent command of the Queen's English could say. To which Hildy smiled with a look of utter pleasure as she mentally, emotionally and physically staked her claim on the woman who she planed on spending the rest of her life with.


	12. Chapter 12 Epilogue Charting The Course

Chapter 12 Epilogue: Charting the Course

The ladies left the park and headed back to the office. The chill in the air picked up and Hildy wrapped her arm around Kami's waist once more and drew her close into her side. Both women were feeling happy, excited, loved and contented as they entered the building.

The elevator was a bit crowded as they rode up to their floor but that worked in their favor because they were able to stand really closely together as the press of the folks forced them to stand in each other's space. They held and squeezed hands as they made the most of the situation.

Abbi looked up as they entered the outer office. She saw the radiant smile on Kami's face and the relaxed confident smile on Hildy's face and knew immediately that something happened. "I thought I would have to send a search party out for you Kami, you were gone so long without calling to say anything." Abbi said with concern in her voice.

She did not over hear the words of warning from Edgar and David but she saw the concern on Kami's face as she left the office a few hours earlier. "You look more relaxed now than a few hours ago. What happened?" Abbi asked.

"Hildy was entering the building as I was exiting and we literally bumped into each other."

Hildy and Kami looked at each other at that moment and smiled. Abbi saw the look that passed between them and knew that something was different from the last time the women were in the office together. This knowledge made her smile because she was rooting for Kami from day one. The thought that the ladies maybe communicated their feelings for each other placed a goofy grin on Abbi's face.

Just then David came out of the engine room and looked at both ladies as Kami continued to tell Abbi about how refreshing the cool air in Central Park was. Hildy took one look at him and decided to straighten him out immediately. She walked over to him with a no nonsense swagger as he mumbled "Oh, oh," under his breath. Hildy grabbed the middle of his shirt in the chest area and literally dragged him towards her office. Hildy looked like a mother who had had just about enough from her penitent child.

"What did you do?!" she demanded from David. He looked at her as he tried to put an innocent look on his face.

"I don't know what you are talking about Hildy", David claimed as he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. Hildy took a deep breath to organize her thoughts. "David, do not play stupid with me. I KNOW you upset Kami earlier today with your words".

David watched Hildy's body language as well as listened to the tone of her voice. He concluded that she was really upset but he suspected she wasn't sure exactly what he said to her potential girlfriend. Kami did not strike him as the type of person who would go running to Hildy and complain, she would deal with her own situations. As David contemplated how to wiggle himself out of the situation, Hildy stepped into his personal space and with one quick move had his hand in a twist that while not exactly painful, was very uncomfortable.

As a trained officer, he knew he could get out of the hold Hildy had him in but to do so he would have to flip her and he was not prepared to do that and Hildy knew it.

David could see humour in almost every situation and as he looked at the situation he was in he began to laugh. This only annoyed Hildy more as she realized getting David to admit what he said was going to be more challenging than she thought.

By this time, Edgar, Terry, and Jim walked over to see what the commotion was all about. They saw Hildy's grip on David's hand as she walked him around in a circle while she repeatedly asked him what did to upset Kami. The guys knew that David's provoking laughter to her question was not helping his situation at all. Edgar had no idea that prior to him warning Kami, David did the same thing, so he stepped forward and confessed.

Hildy and David both looked at him with surprise and they asked "What?" in unison.

"Hildy, let him go, I am the one who spoke to Kami but I had good intentions" Edgar said as he held up his hands in surrender.

Abbi and Kami walked over to Hildy's office as Edgar began explain what he said.

"I did not literally mean I would make her disappear if she harmed you". Hildy's eyes opened wide as what Edgar said sunk into her consciousness.

David laughed and chimed in "Well at least I was vague with my intention; the words 'I will hurt you' can be interpreted in many ways".

Hildy's mouth opened a little as she thought about how Kami must have felt being told these things. She still held onto David's hand as she looked quickly at Terry and then Jim and asked in a controlled voice "Did both of you add to this verbally assault on Kami?" Terry and Jim both raised their hands and said "No, nope", while they shook their heads vigorously.

Kami has seen enough. She stepped away from Abbi and said in a quiet gently voice "Hildy, release his arm".

Hildy looked at her as she battled internally. She wanted to smack both Edgar and David but she also knew that they did not have malice in their hearts when they acted poorly towards Kami.

Kami continued to look at her and she slowly released David's hand from the finger twisting grip she had him in for the last couple minutes. Kami walked over to her and gave her a small smile as she reached forward and took the hand in hers as she gently rubbed Hildy's hands.

"Thank you for defending me, I appreciate it but there is no need to do so. David and Edgar did what any brother or friend would do if someone who little was known about showed an interest in their loved one. I was not offended by their words Hildy. I left the office because I wanted to reflect on the seriousness of this road I want to travel with you. You are loved by everyone who works here Hildy and they would defend you to the death if they had to. That is something to laud not something to condemn. I want to thank David and Edgar for their warnings and Terry and Jim for their encouragement because it made me more determined to prove to them that I am worthy of your love".

Abbi was bouncing on the balls of her feet as the scene unfolded in front of them all. She loved Hildy like a big sister and she liked Kami a lot, and the confirmation that love was in the air had her mentally planning an engagement party already. The grin on her face could not have been bigger if she tried.

Kami stepped closer to Hildy and placed her hand against her cheek as Hildy in turn took her own hand and covered Kami's hand.

"Ok" was all Hildy said in response to Kami's words. The investigators looked at each other and then to the two ladies as Hildy turned to face the men fully.

"Guys, Kami and I have spent a lot of time talking and I want you to know that we are going to begin dating. We have very strong feelings for each other and God's willing we are looking towards the future with the hope of spending our life together. I know you had good intentions and tried to protect me but I want to assure you that there is no need. Kami won't hurt me".

Kami smiled at Hildy's side as she said these words. She then added "I assure you all that there will be no need to make me disappear or harm me in any form or fashion. We are starting our New Beginnings together"

And on that note the ladies hugged each other in the presence of their family.

THE END OF PART ONE

Author's Note: I am already writing part two and the first chapter will be posted in a few days. Thank you for reading and telling your friends, I appreciate it.


End file.
